Community Assistant Katie Goldsmith who leads our Postgraduate Book Club tells us about its benefits, and reviews the latest book they have been reading…
Every Tuesday from 5pm – 6:30pm, the Postgraduate Book Club at QUB gets together (virtually for now) to discuss a book that we’ve all spent the past week reading. We’re all PG students from a wide variety of disciplines and even cultural backgrounds, and the virtual environment allows students to take part even if they are not physically in Belfast at the moment.
The different courses of study we are all pursuing (Humanities, Law, Social and Physical Sciences all represented) foster different viewpoints, which means our discussions are often lively and always refreshing. I usually come away from the meetings feeling energised after considering other angles to the story we’ve been discussing that I never saw when I initially read the story. The great thing about our club is that it really is a meeting amongst friends and is a nice break from academic meetings and lectures. We always spend a bit of each meeting catching up with each other. Fostering that sense of community is so important, especially now.
A recent read
One of our recent reads was Anxious People by Fredrik Backman which is a poignant, quirky and laugh-out-loud novel which follows a reluctant bank robber as they inadvertently create a hostage situation out of trying to evade arrest and ending up in an apartment viewing. Backman masterfully weaves the narrative by allowing us to follow each character in the novel for a chapter to gain an insight into their personality, what motivates them and what has happened in their past which has led them to where they are now.
The novel fluctuates over a tight timeline while also giving us glimpses into the pasts of the characters, which can be especially poignant once you realise how different characters have actually crossed paths before, and what that means for them in how they interact and change over the course of the story.
How it’s written
I found Backman’s style of writing to be very evocative, and I was surprised by how expressive I found his turn of phrase considering the fact that we read a translated copy of the book, as the original is in Swedish. His articulate and thoughtful tone contributed to the flow of the story, which combined extremely short chapters with longer ones without disturbing the mood of the story. Backman also effectively uses a clever framing device whereby we read transcripts of the interviews the police have with each of the hostages as they try to piece the story together. These moments were some of the funniest parts of the story for me and added some much needed levity after some quite dark and moving passages, while also providing further glimpses into the character’s essence and motivations.
This is a quote from the book that has stuck with me since I finished it. I feel it is particularly relevant to the situation we all find ourselves in now, with the sense of unknown permeating the atmosphere surrounding lockdown, and yet with some light at the end of the tunnel thanks to the vaccines…
“Perhaps we hurried past each other in a crowd today, and neither of us
noticed, and the fibres of your coat brushed against mine for a single
moment and then we were gone. I don’t know who you are.
But when you get home this evening, when this day is over and the night
takes us, allow yourself a deep breath. Because we made it through this day
as well.
There’ll be another one along tomorrow.”
Anxious People by AJ Pearce
A Timeless Story
I think this quote perfectly encapsulates a little of what we are all feeling right now and gives a glimpse into what type of story Backman is trying to tell. I believe he is trying to tell a timeless story that will reach out and grab any reader and leave an impression that will stay with you long after you’ve finished. At least, that was the experience for me!
It’s important to remember that this is my book review and my personal opinion of the book – and it is not a shared sentiment by everyone in the QUB PG Book Club! While other members did enjoy it as much as I did, we also had a member who wished there was a little more conflict in the story and felt at times it was a little too sugary sweet in its attempts to get the reader to feel intense emotions like the characters. Another member gave up in their attempt to finish the book as they didn’t see any redeemable qualities in the writing style, tone or characters and couldn’t bare to read another page!
A chat amongst friends
Every opinion is welcome in the Book Club and one of the highlights is our discussion where we see who liked the book, who didn’t, and why we felt that way. Our shared analysis allows us all to gain deeper insights into the books we’ve read, as one member might share a point of view which we hadn’t considered when reading the book before. Book Club is like a chat amongst friends that provides a welcome respite from academic literature and study. Our book suggestions come from the members ourselves and no genre is closed off for us.
A glimpse at our Goodreads group bookshelf
Our reading suggestions come from our members, and we’re always on the lookout for our next book. Whether it’s your absolute favourite book that you want to share with the club, or a book you’ve heard about and been meaning to read but never got around to it, we provide each member with a digital copy of the book so there is no cost involved with being a member.
Want to join us?
If you are interested in joining or would like more information please don’t hesitate to contact us at qub.pgbookclub@gmail.com and we can add you to the email list and MS Teams group so you will get further updates. We hope to see you at a meeting soon!